ABL, part of Oslo-listed global consultancy group ABL Group, has sealed a rig move pact with Petroleum Marine Services (PMS), Egypt’s offshore construction and services company.
The two players have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on rig moving services and marine assurance and risk. Thanks to this MoU, ABL’s local operations in Egypt can be called upon on a call-off basis to provide rig moving and operations technical support, alongside its wide range of marine assurance and risk services, including rig inspections, DP assurance, and critical systems consulting.
Stephen Craig , ABL’s Global Director for Rig Operations, commented: “It is great to have the opportunity to cement our relationship with PMS on rig moving and assurance.
“We have a long track-record in supporting safe and optimised rig operations across the Middle East and North and South Africa. Our and PMS’ strong presence in Egypt means that we can provide a really strong end-to-end offering to support Egyptian rig operations.”
The rig move follows the duo’s announcement that they were introducing a unified rig moving service in the Red Sea and Gulf of Suez, with support from the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), Egypt’s national oil company.
Captain Tamer Gamil , ABL’s Country Manager in Egypt, explained: “We are pleased to sign this MoU with PMS, following previous engagements with the company. It reflects the close and successful collaboration between our companies, in support of Egyptian offshore energy.”
ABL, which supports 1,300 rig moves annually on average, offers services that include marine warranty survey, vessel surveys and inspections, tow master and OCR support, engineering technical studies, including leg penetration assessments (LPAs), site-specific assessments (SSAs), and the wider geo-consulting to support jack-ups and other types of rigs.
Walid Hegazy , Chairman and CEO of PMS, emphasized: “Building on a foundation of success – from our initial engineering services to the implementation of unified rig-moving solutions – this MoU reinforces our shared mission to elevate operational efficiency and safety standards within Egypt’s energy sector.
“It also reflects PMS’s commitment to deploying world-class expertise that drives the growth, sustainability, and long-term value of Egyptian offshore operations.”
The latest deal comes shortly after ABL won a deal at ExxonMobil’s offshore oil project in Guyana’s Stabroek block.